


A few extra trips around the sun

by opposablethumbs



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, For Science!, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-02-04 06:56:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opposablethumbs/pseuds/opposablethumbs
Summary: A brief 'missing scene' fic from the end of the movie between Steve and Bucky, based on the above theory.I cannot stress more, this contains spoilers for Endgame.





	A few extra trips around the sun

**Author's Note:**

> A brief 'missing scene' fic from the end of the movie between Steve and Bucky, based on the above theory.
> 
> I cannot stress more, this contains spoilers for Endgame.

Black suits, black tie. Gold cufflinks for the man who most people thought was made only of iron. This was one of the hardest moments of Steve's life, saying goodbye to this person who had given him a home. And it was made all the harder by knowing what he was going to do afterwards.

He heard his door open and close quietly, but the footfalls were so familiar he didn't turn away from doing his tie in the mirror.

"Hey Buck," he greeted.

"You're doing it wrong," Bucky replied of Steve's poor attempt at a Half-Windsor. 

Steve turned round. "You wanna do it for me?"

Bucky huffed but stepped forward, hands going to the silk with familiarity. "I'm still not sure I should be here," he murmured as he passed the material between his flesh and metal fingers.

"Pepper asked you to be," reminded Steve. "Tony did a lot of growing in those five years. Forgave a lot of wrongs. Accepted some of his own."

"You miss him," Bucky said, finishing the tie but his right hand lingering on Steve's shoulder.

Steve looked into Bucky's grey blue eyes, the lines surrounding them. It was now or never. "Buck, I'm going back," he said.

A curious half-smile formed on Bucky's lips. "I know."

It was part of today's events to return the stones to their proper places in time and Steve had asked to be the one who did it. Everyone knew that, and probably assumed it was Steve's sense of duty that made him volunteer. And while Steve could live with that, he couldn't live without telling Bucky the real plan.

"No," he said, "I mean I'm going back and staying." He took a deep breath. "And I promise I won't let what happened happen again. I can't change anything for you, but I can rescue another you, back then. And Peggy. I..." Steve felt tears stinging his eyes, voice breaking under the strain.

Bucky squeezed his shoulder. "Steve, I get it. Shuri explained it to me. Best as she could anyway. When she started on the math, I kinda blanked."

Steve allowed himself a small chuckle. He'd had plenty of moments like that listening to Tony. Bruce. Hell, even Nat from time to time. 

Bucky matched it by allowing his smirk to merge into a soft soft smile. "Just knowing you'll be happy and that... some other me gets a chance?" he said. "It's enough."

The tears spilled, and Bucky dragged him into a hug. "Gonna miss you though, punk," Bucky whispered in his ear.

Steve allowed himself a moment in Bucky's embrace before he pulled away, sniffing and clearing his throat. "I'll be back. You'll not even know I'm gone." He smiled at last, certain this was a promise he would be able to keep. "And for me it'll just be a few extra trips around the sun."


End file.
